A TOWN group is preparing for its next talk with a World War II theme.
Kidderminster Historical Society will welcome Mark Jackson on Thursday, November 13 for ‘The Worcestershire Regiment, Normandy and North West Europe 1944-45’.
The 1st Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment landed in Normandy on June 22, 1944, as part of the follow-on forces.
After a month of heavy fighting in Normandy the Allies broke out and rushed across a liberated France.
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This was until the heavily-contested crossing of the Seine prior to a slower advance through Belgium and the Netherlands, in particular, trying to link up with the airborne forces at Arnhem.
Eventually, they crossed the Rhine into Germany and on VE Day had reached the outskirts of Bremen after 11 months of hard fighting.
A total of 268 members of the battalion laid down their lives between June 1944 and May 1945.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Jackson OBE is chair of the board of trustees of The Mercian Regiment Museum (Worcestershire).
He has two great uncles from Kidderminster, Leonard and Lionel Humphries, who served in the Worcesters in World War I.
His father Anthony Jackson, who was also born in Kidderminster, served in the Worcesters in World War II and Malaya.
Mark followed their example, serving a full career in the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment before becoming the CEO of St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester.
He is president of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regimental Association in Worcester and was High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 2020.
KHS meetings start at 2.30pm and are held at The Museum of Carpet, Stour Vale Mill, Green Street.
There is a small charge for visitors who are welcome and asked to book to ensure a seat.
More information about the society and how to book can be found on the website at kdahs.org or Facebook page KidderminsterHistoricalSociety.
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